Levitated Mass Transport: A Gawker’s Guide [Updated Friday, March 9]

We know you might want to see the megalith destined to be part of Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass as it makes its journey through L.A., so we want to give you an overview of your chances. As mentioned previously, the actual transport (made possible by Hanjin Shipping) starts tonight and will only occur in the middle of the night—and slowly at that. During each day it will be parked in specially identified areas. (You can see the overall route map here, and Google street views in the links below.) These daytime stops will be your best and most convenient opportunities to see the boulder during this historic movement. With that in mind, here is a detailed breakdown of its stops, plus a few tips and recommendations for each location. (Some are more convenient than others.) As an FYI, none of these stops will result in daytime street closures, though in some cases there will only be one lane of traffic open in either direction.

Day or night, if you see the boulder during its journey, let us know! Post your pics to Facebook or Twitter and tag us (Twitter hashtag: #LevitatedMass). Check back to this blog post each day as we update its movement. We will also be updating news of the transport daily on the Levitated Mass page and on Twitter.

Wednesday, February 29: Following its initial departure from the quarry tonight, the boulder will travel about seven miles to the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Bellegrave Avenue in Glen Avon.

Tip for gawkers: The transporter will be parked on private property, though the area is fairly wide open.

Update, February 29, 8:27 am:Last night at about 10:40 pm, the transporter carrying the 340-ton megalith left the quarry in Riverside County. All went well on the first leg of the journey, which saw the transporter travel approximately five miles in four and a half hours. Nearly half of that time was spent making a sharp turn from Granite Hill Drive onto Country Village Road. As of now the transporter is parked at its planned first stop. The second leg of the journey will begin tonight and will take the boulder approximately ten miles to its second stop. Check out this video showing the transporter leaving the quarry!

Thursday, March 1: The boulder will arrive at its second stop near the southwest corner of Ontario Airport, at the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Grove Avenue. The transporter will be parked on private property—it will be easy to see, and traffic won’t be affected.

Tip for gawkers: The area is fairly desolate outside of an Arco gas station across the street and a couple of nearby aviation companies.

Update, Thursday, March 1, 6:17 am: Everything went very smoothly on the transporter’s second night. The transporter moved at a good clip, covering about eight miles. The boulder safely arrived at Mission Boulevard and Grove Avenue, near the edge of the Ontario Airport, at 4:15 am this morning.

Tip for gawkers: These are both wide streets with fast-moving traffic and no parking. At best you can drive by, but it will be difficult to stop and look, or to get out of your car for a photo op.

Update, Friday, March 2, 7:34 am: The transporter traveled ten miles last night and is now parked near the Park and Ride on Chino Avenue near the 71 freeway. This is two miles short of the originally planned stop of Chino Avenue and Chino Hills Parkway. Emmert International, which is managing the transport, deemed this to be the safest, least disruptive stop. The transporter will remain here for the day until it resumes its journey tonight around 10-11 pm. It should make up those miles tonight and reach its next planned destination in Rowland Heights without disrupting the overall transportation schedule. Update, 9:37 am: Please be warned: today’s stop is not convenient for stopping and looking at the boulder. There is no nearby parking, and the street is very busy. We encourage you to see the boulder at its next stop in Rowland Heights, where it will be located all weekend.

Saturday/Sunday, March 3-4: All weekend the transporter will be parked on Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights, near Fullerton Road. (To get here, take the 60 to the Fullerton Road exit and travel south to Pathfinder.)

UPDATE, Saturday, March 3, 9:45 am:The transporter successfully completed the most challenging part of the journey early this morning. CHP and local municipalities allowed extended drive time, and the transporter has now reached its destination at Pathfinder Road and Buttonwood Lane near Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights. It will remain there throughout the weekend.

Tip for gawkers: Make a day of it! The rock will be parked just across the street from Pathfinder Community Regional Park, which has tables, lots of grass, a play area, bathrooms, basketball and tennis courts, and more. Bring a picnic. Schabarum Regional Park is also nearby—a great place for hiking or biking. There’s also a lot of great cuisine in Rowland Heights. “Yes Plaza,” at the nearby intersection of Fullerton and Colima, is filled with sushi, Thai, tempura, and much more. You can also search Chowhound for more Rowland Heights recommendations.

Tip for gawkers: If you’re using mass transit, the 120 bus will make a stop right next to the transporter. There is parking in nearby residential areas for a quick hop out of the car for a photo op. Leffingwell is a large, busy street with not a lot of foot traffic.

Update, Monday, March 5, 6:30 am:The transporter traveled approximately eleven miles last night from Rowland Heights to La Mirada, spending most of its journey on Colima Road. Early this morning it safely reached its next stop on Leffingwell Road, just west of La Mirada Boulevard. It will leave for the next leg of its journey at approximately 10–11 pm tonight.

Tips for gawkers: There are strip malls on either side of the street with ample parking and a few fast food places to eat (and more food options at the nearby intersection of South Street and Woodruff Avenue).

Update, Tuesday, March 6, 6:10 am: The transporter departed La Mirada at approximately 10 pm last night and traveled nearly twelve miles to its next intended stop, South Street near Palo Verde Avenue in Lakewood, arriving at 4:30 am. It will leave for the next leg of its journey tonight around 10–11 pm.

Tip for gawkers: If you live in the Long Beach area, this is probably your best chance to see the transporter. If you’re coming around lunch or dinner, try Patricia’s Restaurant! It’ll have prime viewing of the rock, and the Mexican food is affordable and delicious. Of all the weekday stops, Bixby Knolls is the most densely populated, meaning there are a few more lunch or dinner options and other nearby things to do beyond a quick drive-by. For instance, continue south on Atlantic for about fifteen minutes and you’ll run into the Aquarium of the Pacific. [Update: the town of Bixby Knolls is getting into the spirit and throwing a Rock Party from 12-7 pm! More details here.]

Update, Wednesday, March 7, 6:12 am: The transporter had a short and uneventful journey last night, leaving the city of Lakewood at 10 pm and arriving to its intended destination of Bixby Knolls just three hours later. The megalith will be parked on Atlantic Avenue between 36th and 37th streets until approximately 10-11 pm, when it will leave for its next destination of Vermont Avenue and Carson Street. For information on the “Rock Party” in Bixby Knolls today from 12–7 pm, click here.

Thursday, March 8: After touring Long Beach in the middle of the night, the transporter will come to rest at Vermont Avenue just north of Carson Street, in the city of Carson (not far from UCLA Harbor Medical Center). (Note: see update below.)

Tip for gawkers: This stretch of Vermont will not be especially conducive to stopping, but there are residential streets nearby.

Update, Thursday, March 8, 7:03 am: Due to tight clearances along Atlantic Avenue, the transporter stopped three miles short of its intended destination. It is parked on Avalon Boulevard at Pacific Street, near Sepulveda Boulevard. It will depart tonight at approximately 10–11 pm with the intention of reaching its next planned stop at Figueroa Street, just north of Florence Avenue.

Update, 4:15 pm:The transporter will be leaving earlier than usual tonight, with an expected departure of approximately 8 pm.

Update, Friday, March 9, 6:15 am: After an early start last night at about 8 pm, the transport made up the distance it lost from the night before. It covered just over sixteen miles, landing at its intended destination of Gage Avenue and Figueroa (just north of Florence Avenue) around 2:30 am. Tonight it makes its way to LACMA for the last leg of the nearly 105 mile journey. Learn more about what to expect for the final leg of the journey.

Finally, on Friday night the megalith will make its final leg of the journey, traveling up Figueroa (right past Exposition Park and USC), turning onto West Adams, then up Western, before turning onto Wilshire Boulevard and proceeding to its final destination at LACMA (and it is final—you better believe no one is moving this thing again!). This relatively short distance will take most of the night, starting at 11 pm and tentatively arriving to the museum around 4 am. We will be tweeting the Wilshire Boulevard journey if you happen to be awake!

Scott Tennent

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Question about the route… the map you linked to shows the route for Thursday night/Friday morning (Feb. 29-Mar. 1, in the city of Chino) going south on Ramona and turning right (west) on Chino Ave, where it will proceed west to its parking place at the intersection of Chino Ave. and Chino Hills Pkwy.

However, the local newspaper in Chino published a different route, taking the boulder south on Ramona, past Chino Ave, to Edison Ave., where it will turn west and then enter the 71 Freeway northbound to Chino Ave, where it will exit and proceed west on Chino to its parking place.

WHICH IS IT? I live off of Chino Avenue and want to be in the right place at the right time to see the behemoth go by!

I think they should tour the country with it – a Monster National Treasure. I’d love to see it negotiate I-4 in Orlando. Or better yet, Orange Blossom Trail. This is gaper-block country and The Rock is finally something worth gaping at.

Love it! we will make a special trip to see it near Diamond Bar-
Thanks for including the public- it is a once in a life time event.
Also, it’s great that you are monitoring these comments and correcting any issues.

Councilmember James Johnson and the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association in Long Beach thought we should just have some fun with all of this.
Between Noon and 4:00pm on Wednesday, March 7, you are invited to come out and enjoy a party for this spectacle featuring music (our DJ playing songs that feature “rock” in the title), food, live artists, the Knolls Ranger, river rock decorating, photo ops with the rock, and more.

SO many missed opportunities for LACMA … Where is the LACMA EZ-Up tent with LACMA info and giving away a free family membership at every stop? Where are cyclists/joggers/runners and their fundraising opportunities following The Rock? SO MANY tie-ins … Prudential Insurance and their “rock” logo. That male actor with too much testosterone – “The Rock” – where is he this week – and why not with LACMA offering photo opportunities with kids/fans? You passed by the FedEx depot at Ontario Int’l Airport – what a great opportunity for them to campaign, “Well, we don’t mind NOT shipping this for you … ” SO many “obvious” opportunities to promote LACMA come to minf …

Would love to take some shots as it turns from Artesia Blvd (Gardena) onto Western Ave northbound…..anybody know at what time (estimated) this might happen? Assuming late Thursday pm or early Friday am……..would this be correct?

Sunday night/Monday morning the rock will be coming past my house near Colima Rd. in Whittier. I can’t wait to see it go by. I’ll be taking lots of pictures. This is not the first time something this big has been moved using Colima Rd. & La Mirada Blvd.

going to see the rock resting between night-time travels was amazing. I think if you pull the red “X” tape all the sand will drain out? It’s too bad Revelle or some model company doesn’t have a model kit of the transporter, the machine is quite a sight itself.

Your schedule ends with arrival about 4am Sat 10 Mar — do you plan to have a celebration later on Saturday morning, maybe something like a “launching” with a bottle of champagne? Or does it just go into limbo till later when the complete exhibit is finally ready to view?

I was just at the corner of Lambert & Colima. The traffic signals have already been moved. The workers there said it would be another hour and a half to two hours before it gets to Lambert so I’m making a batch of hot chocolate and going back to the corner to wait.

It was worth the wait!! It came over colima on the wrong side of the road and crossed over at Whittier Blvd. at 2:25am. It crossed Lambert Rd. at 3:05am. By 4:00am it had already made the turn onto Leffingwell Rd. It’s now parked in the middle of Leffingwell Rd. with traffic able to pass it on both sides.

Kathy, this project has kept a lot of people gainfully employed from the time they began to excavate the rock in 2007, all the way until now, while they are transporting it. It will continue to keep even more people employed completing the move, and once it arrives at the LACMA site, building the exhibit, and finally maintaining it. It means that all those people were not on unemployment, were not homeless, and were therefor paying taxes that go to support all those who are on unemployment, welfare, food stamps, etc. I am 100% certain these people would rather earn a living than be given some sort of handout. In that light, who cares how many people you could give handouts to, when you actually employ so many working class people.

@ Kathy – Not to worry, this is not paid for with public money. The transport and installation is paid for by LACMA supporters – money earmarked for the arts. I love how they are getting the public involved in the move. It’s a once in a lifetime kind of thing!

Hi Charlie, it’s hard to say exactly what time it will hit that corner. We know it will leave Leffingwell around 10-11pm and will arrive to its South Street stop by 5am, but it’s tough to say exactly when it will hit each spot in between. It all depends on the complexities of the route. That corner looks to be just past the leg’s halfway point, if that can help you estimate.

OKAY! A big rock covered in plastic. The mover is worth going to look at the whole thing. Genius engineering to haul a “stone”. I am anxious to go and see it actually move. The bridge on Carmenita better be strong enough. Or go real fast over it.

I am so excited to be a part of this historic move! I live in Lakewood and plan to go over to South St and Palo Verde early Tuesday morning to take pictures. My plan is to print them out and share the pictures with my granddaughter’s 1st grade class. On Tuesday night, I will walk two blocks to South St. to see the rock in motion. Maybe even have a party! Maybe take more pictures. How much fun is that? It will be all the more interesting to see the rock in its installation at LACMA.

well all I can say is wow seen the rock on pathfinder hats off to all the workers who are making this move see it on south st will ask this guys what kind of trans gears does the trucks have and the rear end and the motor in the K W ?

I got this email from my cousin on Monday evening
=
Hi Loren:
Thanks for the “heads up,” with the Giant Rock. It parked for the weekend just a few miles from our home. Dorothy, Bob, Loretta and I joined with all [or at least practically all] of Rowland Heights’ population and all the inhabitants of its surrounding cities to view the now famous moving spectacle. We must have very little to do in this area because it was totally surprising the amount of people that came to behold this new Walnut Valley attraction. But even with the large crowd, we had a fun time being part of the throng that bore witness to THE DAY THE GIANT ROCK PASSED THROUGH ROWLAND HEIGHTS.
Thanks again. = Dennis

As the Mayor of Jurupa Valley, the newest city in California, I have to say, “Great report on The Rock or as I fondly call it Our Rock”. You see it originated and departed from the City of Jurupa Valley (not Riverside) . We are the newest city in Riverside County and the State as we incorporated July 1, 2011. The moving of this incredible rock is helping to put us on the map. We are sad to see it leave us but glad it will be enjoyed by so many in the future. I can’t wait to visit “Our Rock” at LACMA!

They should have a “Rock” band playing on the transporter to entertain people that are watching it being moved.
Also they should sell “Pet Rock” versions of the rock.
And they should sell “Megalith” T-Shirts.

I’m in Cerritos & the Rockin’ & Rollin’ went right by my house as scheduled about 4 A.M. We followed it on foot down Studebaker Rd. & watched it make the left turn onto South St. Palos Verde St. is just a “stone’s throw” from my house so we will check it out later today once it’s in its temporary resting place & before it heads out to Bixby Knolls. It’s not that the ginormous boulder is so gigantic-what makes the spectacle is its entourage-kind of like J Lo & her Fiat.

The best place to see the transporter arrive at LACMA will be along Wilshire, outside of the museum. We’ll have more details as to what to expect a bit later this week. We can’t say exactly what time it will arrive but hope to have a better sense of it in the next day or two.

We will also be live-tweeting the entire last leg of of the journey, so @LACMA will be the best place to follow for updates.

So very cool. I agree with the many suggestions….t shirts, matchbox type copies of rock and shipping trucks, pet rocks….even if you can’t have them on sale for the trip, certainly LACMA should look into it for when it opens. Lots of people who witnessed this will be attending the exhibit and I am sure both adults and kids would like to purchase something to commemorate the event (and support LACMA of course). LACMA has come so far in the last few years! Not boring any longer!!!!!!!!!!!! Now it is really a multi generational place to see!!

in cerritos on south st wow so many people here with the rock like a so cal party,news guys are here channel 7&4 guys from lakewood tv lots of the schools , kids windy&cold but so what this is a one time thing ya know that song [ meet me over on south street} and we will go see it at the museum great job to all workers moving it to L A but it may rain tonight? so we do really rock in so cal

drove from brentwood to newport beach to see the richard diebenkorn exhibit and then straight up to rowland heights and pathfinder road were the ROCK convoy was parked. very impressive engineering…….how did they move the boulders of stonehenge in 1300bc to it’s present location ???? a lot of food for thought….. we had a great california art adventure can’t wait to watch the arrival at LACMA.

Went to the “Rock Party” at Bixby Knolls today between 12:30-2:30pm where the rock was sitting in the middle of Atlantic Blvd. making like a “rock island”. They were welcoming the megalith in rockin’ style. They had a local band, a DJ in front of Patricia’s Mexican restaurant, some local artists, and various booths-usually with “rock” type theme. A large frame was hanging with the words, “Levitated Mass” that you could stand behind for a photo op. It was strategically placed so that the Rock could be seen behind the frame. There were kids from a local school following their teachers around. The weather was sunny, a little breezy, all in all a great day!

Enjoyed the “Rock Party” in Bixby Knolls earlier today. I commend all the entities involved with the logistics and engineering of moving the “Levitated Mass” through 3 counties, 22 cities and making it happen (what appears to most us) without a glitch. I will be watching it drive on Magnolia Ave in a couple of hours. I can imagine the Bill of Lading (Qty: 1, Description: 340 Ton Rock).

I’m now a part of this history, I have pictures and a Tshirt to remember this memorable experience. How exciting!!!

Where’s my Rock? Got up early, drove to the predicted site . . . no Rock. Drove down Vermont looking for oncoming Rock, but no luck. (Now I see that I had mistaken the route, but I’m already at work and it’s too late to go back.) Came to this site hoping for update, nothing. Has Rock vanished into thin air?

Saw the rock stop on Avalon Bl. What’s amazing is a couple blocks away on Wilmington Ave just N of Lomita Bl. is a piece of REFINERY equipment they are moving. It is MUCH LARGER than the boulder but only 250 tons. Buts the MASS of the boulder in perspective. Boulder transporter is almost 300 ft long. It has 160 wheels under it.Neat to see the support crews working. They have to unbolt the traffic signals and swing out of the way !

I have been following “the rock” progression since I first heard about it. I feel that the transporting of “the rock” is a piece of art in itself.
I finally got to see it 3 different times when it was in Lakewood, twice during the day when it was parked, and then again at night when it was moving. It was wonderful to see so many people of all ages out to see this once in a lifetime occurance. I felt the same way when I made the journey to see Cristo’s umbrellas, (it was oct. 1991 along the grapevine route there were 1760 Bright yellow umbrellas each 20′ tall & 26′ diameter looking like wild poppies scattered across the hills I was deeply moved by all the creative ingenuity and engineering it takes to make these type of thing actually occur.
I hope that we we find that someone or some company has made a comprehensive video of “the rock'” during its entire journey until and including the final display. I will go see & celebrate this wonderful art.
How amazing this journey has been…see you at LaCMC under “the rock”….and it all started with one mans dream…think about it and enjoy!

Wow, we just got home from Avalon and Sepulveda and it is HUGE! The rig is amazing, amazing. I’ve been so excited to share this with my kids… to see it on the rig and then see it this summer on exhibit. So cool. LACMA, I love that you’ve brought such an interesting art form “to the street” in this way. People are talking about art in south LA today. Thank you.

Like Judy, I was hoping that someone, possibly from the museum, was documenting on video the entire journey of this infamous chunk of granite. For those not that impressed by the boulder, I would like to say that seeing the transporter parked on the street in no way compares to watching it on the move. Like Judy, I saw it both parked & rockin’ & rollin’ along its predetermined path & the latter was more exciting. That is when you really get a grasp of what an extraordinary engineering feat this is keeping a 200-foot-long trailer & tractor trucks (weighing 1.2 million pounds, no less) steady as a rock on their course. Needless to say, I have become a true ROCK FAN! Wish I could be there on the last leg of its journey. I do, however, plan on visiting the museum sometime after the exhibit is complete. I hope to stand underneath it, look up at it, and say, “I knew you when…”

Hi Judy and Joan – indeed, we are documenting the entire project. Filmmakers have been rolling for many months now and will continue through the creation of the artwork. We will have more information about the film in the coming months!

I keep seeing this “340 ton” figure. How do they know?
(I suppose they measured the bending of the transporter beam as it absorbed the weight of the rock, and somebody at JPL calculated the stress? Or they put 10,000 bathroom scales under a transparent platform, and found that the readings averaged 68 pounds each? Or they dunked the rock in a lake and measured how much water it displaced, and multiplied by their estimate of the density of granite rocks? Or they asked a couple of hundred people “How much do you think this rock weighs?” and averaged their guesses?)

Thank you LACMA-glad to see that you are documenting the progression of the Rock. I’m hoping to see it on a DVD that all the Rock’s fans can eventually purchase-more funds for the museum! I saw the Rock in Cerritos/Lakewood & went to the Rock party in Bixby Knolls. I am aware of where it was before that & where it went after those two stops but would love to see actual footage of the other stops. Besides the actual journey, sounds as if the film may have more tidbits of info. behind the scenes before the move even began. Will the update regd. the progress of the film be announced on this blog?

Yes, just an old rock. You miss the point if that is all you see. Michael Heizer is an “Earth” artist that specializes in large scale sculptures. He conceived the idea of the “Levitated Mass” over 30 years ago and finally found the rock that would become his sculpture. In 1972 he began a massive earth art project called “City” in a desert valley of Nevada. This project is still ongoing. It is to date one of the largest sculptures ever created. City, along with Levitated Mass ties in with art history, ancient monuments, and contemporary art & artistic geometric shapes. Both projects are financed by patrons of the arts who understand & appreciate masterpieces such as these. Transporting the rock inadvertently became an art in itself. To just see a rock is to live in a box or go through life with blinders on=no perspective, distorted vision.